Raccourci
by ItEndsWithAFirstKiss
Summary: Les Mis AU where the first thing your soulmate will say to you is written on your arm. Marius x Eponine. Really sappy. I was bored. Read if you, like me, would like to pretend that Eponine Thenardier got a happy ending. Live in your comforting false beliefs here!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Eponine Thenardier lay in her sad excuse for a mattress and stared at the decaying ceiling above her. She fidgeted a little, attempting to get comfortable. She could not fall asleep for the life of her. The noise around her kept her from drifting into the realm of sleep.

She turned over once more and caught a short glance at the tattoo on her forearm. She groaned internally. That little piece of writing imbedded in her skin was really starting to get on her nerves. It had been a little more than a year since it had magically appeared on her.

Well, it wasn't just her. Everyone got a magical tattoo on their arm at the age of sixteen. It was always writing. Always the same font. Always the same color of black. On every single person in the entire world. It was supposedly the first thing your 'soulmate' would say to you. Eponine was honestly starting to doubt all that. Why? Because she was in love with Marius Pontmercy.

That was no surprise to anyone that knew her. It was pretty obvious. Well, it was pretty obvious to almost everyone. Everyone except Marius, himself. That was because Marius Pontmercy was the physical embodiment of the word 'oblivious.'

It wouldn't be that large of an issue if not for the fact that the two had met when they were seven. Nine years before they would get their tattoos. If she could just remember the first thing Marius had said to her, she would be far more reassured with her life. But, no.

 _That is quite misfortunate, Mademoiselle._ The words stared at her in the semidarkness. He _might_ have said that to her. But, she was almost positive that she had, at least, met him while playing some sort of game. Who would say that to someone while playing a game? Much less the first thing they say.

And so, these thoughts twisted and turned in Eponine's mind for the billionth time since those cursed words had appeared on her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Don't ferget yer errands, Ep'nine!" Master Thenardier called to her.

"I won't!" She called back. Eponine began roaming throughout the streets of Paris. Her feet carried her to the market. She waved a sympathetic 'hello' to some of the kinder and less fortunate whores that roamed the streets. She knew which alleyways to avoid and which people who's eyes one should not gaze directly into. She was quite street smart for her tender age of seventeen. Just as she was about to turn into the market, someone caught her eye. Marius.

"Hello, 'Ponine!" He smiled as if he had just heard the single most hilarious thing in the entire world. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Hi, Marius. What's so funny?" She asked.

"You simply won't believe what I just saw. I was walking by the lake and witnessed Enjolras and Grantaire holding hands. If anyone found out they were such softies, they would simply die of embarrassment."

"You're gonna tell everyone, aren't you."

"Definitely. Make sure to come by, tonight. So we can tease them, together."

"Will do."

"I've got to get to a lesson. But, I will see you later, then." He waved and briskly walked away. Then he turned right around.

"Don't do anything illegal while I'm away." She laughed.

"I'll try." He scurried away, for real this time.

"See you later," Eponine spoke under her breath. She watched him until he disappeared from sight. Just before he did, she watched as he tripped and fell. Her eyes widened and she sprinted over to help him up. She stopped dead in her tracks. Marius had run into a young woman extremely close to her age. She knew that gorgeous blonde creature.

Cosette. A wave of guilt washed over her like a tsunami. She and her sister, Azelma, had treated Cosette horribly as children. She guessed that this was what the students would call 'poetic justice.' At the old inn, Eponine was a princess dressed in fine dresses and bonnets and Cosette was a servant adorned in rags. It was a perfect mirror image, now.

Marius was scrambling on the cobblestones, collecting her groceries. "I am so, so sorry, Mademoiselle. That was clearly my mistake." He rambled while placing apples back into her basket. Cosette gasped. She quickly glanced down with a look of pure astonishment on her face. Eponine was too far away to see where she was looking.

"You are far too kind, Monsieur." Marius gasped as well. When he glanced down, it was far clearer as to where he was looking. His arm. His forearm. His tattoo. His head snapped up. Eponine didn't hear their next exchanging of words. She was too busy running away from the soulmates.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Eponine refused to drink. She knew that drinking away her problems simply wouldn't work. That was quite evident in her father's customers and she had vowed to never end up like them. But, _good god_ , it was tempting. Tantalizing, even. Anything that could help her forget would be welcomed with open arms.

It also didn't help that Grantaire was offering one every three to six minutes. She sat at the very back tale of the tavern, where very few people could see her cry. Most of the time, Eponine was able to keep her tears off her cheeks. It was a skill you had to learn on the streets. Not this time.

The Thenardier girl stared down at her tattoo with hatred.

 _That is quite misfortunate, Mademoiselle_

It seemed as if God, himself, pitied her. It was as if he was apologizing for her misfortune. _Sorry, Eponine, you're just the seven billionth wheel. That's all._

Marius had a soulmate. And it wasn't Eponine. Shouldn't she have seen that coming? Probably.

She didn't want to talk to anybody. She honestly just wanted to wallow in her own silence. Jean Prouvaire decided to intrude, anyways.

"No need to explain. Gossip travels fast in this part of town. I just wanted to tell you something. A swan must fall before they fly." He smiled as if he wanted to comfort her but knew that she wouldn't allow him. Jean and his strange proverbs. It was like he only talked in figurative language. She had no idea what he meant.

She sure didn't feel like a swan while letting out hysteric sobs.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was late. Eponine rose from her wooden chair. She dried her eyes one last time and began walking towards the door. Something stopped her. Marius. He was sitting at a different table, not facing Eponine. Jean Prouvaire was directly across from him. He could look up and see Eponine at any time. But, she was pretty sure he already knew she was there.

 _Maybe I can just leave through the back door,_ she thought to herself. A conversation with Marius would just be too emotionally straining right now.

"It's all just so confusing. Honestly, nothing makes sense."

Eponine stopped dead in her tracks.

"I mean, I was just in the market, running to get to a class. And I ran into her. Her groceries went flying. Naturally, I felt bad and apologized. Apparently, whatever I said was written on her arm." She didn't want to hear this conversation but she was rooted to the floor.

"And then she said what's written on my arm. _Exactly._ 'You're far too kind, Monsieur.' That's what she said. That's what's written here. We were both freaking out because, you know, we're _soulmates_." Eponine _really_ didn't need to hear this.

"But, I had to get to class and she had to go somewhere. I don't really remember what she said. But, we agreed to go to the lake before sunset. So, we met up. Her name's Cosette, by the way." She flinched.

"I felt nothing. Absolutely no emotional connection. At all." Eponine cursed herself for being a little happy at that.

"She was very nice. She was very sweet. Pretty. Extremely polite. I mean, I liked her just fine. It's not her fault she's not-" He cut himself off. Jean finally spoke up.

"Not Eponine?" What? He glanced up just enough to acknowledge that he definitely knew she was there.

"Yeah," Marius admitted, "I mean, I've been in love with her since we were pretty young." She was dreaming. This wasn't happening.

"But there's always problems. We met when we were little. Before we got our tattoos. So we can't be one hundred percent sure what the first thing we said to each other was. But I'm positive the first thing she said to me was something snarky, something comedic and sassy. Something she would say. Not what's written on my arm. That's something a lady would say. And she's many things. Many wonderful things, but not a lady. I mean, she's hilarious, and caring, and stubborn in a good way, and …" His rambling turned into white noise. This couldn't be happening. Marius could not be in love with her. This had to be some twisted way to cheer her up. It was simply too good to be true. The mention of her name snapped her attention back.

"…'Ponine's too poor for my parents to be alright with. Even if I were to be with her, my family would never accept her. And of course there's the everlasting problem of her not having any interest in me, whatsoever." She could hear Prouvaire stifle a laugh. Marius didn't notice. He was propping his head up with one arm.

"I'm just so confused. I have no feelings for my soulmate and I'm in love with a girl that I'm not meant to be with. Nothing makes sense." _This isn't happening. Marius isn't in love with you. Deep breathes. Don't get your hopes up. It's fake._

"Well, you hide it much better than she does." Marius cocked his head. Eponine's eyes widened.

"You really are quite oblivious. You see, Eponine is helplessly in love with you as well. She has told me quite explicitly how she feels, actually. Isn't that, right, Eponine?" He directed the question at her, making direct eye contact. Marius whirled around instantly.

"I-" She couldn't say anything. Her mouth wouldn't form words. Jean rose from his chair.

'I believe you two have some emotions to sort out, in private. So, I will leave you alone." He had one foot out of the door when he said, "two blind mice cannot regain their sight unless they open each other's eyes, after all." Marius got up as well. _This is it. This is when he's going to tell me it's all some kind of joke._

"How much did you hear?" He asked.

"E-everything." That was all her voice would allow her to say. Although Eponine had grown up learning how to read people's faces for emotions, she couldn't read Marius' at that exact moment. There were too many there.

"You're in love with me?" He blurted out. _This is a dream. It's not real._

Eponine might as well have gone mute. She couldn't say a thing. She just nodded her head. It's not like she could lie to him anyways.

A boyish grin reached his lips before they were against hers and Eponine Thenardier stopped trying to convince herself that what was happening wasn't real.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 _The little Thenardier girl was running through the streets, playing a game of tag with her friends. She rounded a corner, just nearly escaping Montparnasse. Before she could sprint down another block, she collided with someone._

 _Eponine had tripped and fallen on the ground. She grumbled and looked up to see a bourgeoisie boy with a nice tailored coat and too many books in his arms._

 _"That is quite misfortunate, Mademoiselle."_ So helpful, _the girl thought to herself._

 _"You're far too kind, Monsieur." She said sarcastically. The boy shook his head._

 _"So sorry." He held out his hand. She took it, reluctantly. Eponine was surprised he wasn't disgusted to touch her. The upper class always regarded her with pity, at most. But, this boy treated her as an equal._

 _"Well, I've got to get to my class, now. But I hope I'll see you again, Mademoiselle," he bowed a little, "my name is Marius, by the way." No one had_ ever _bowed to her. It was like she was royalty. She decided to curtsy a little bit, in response._

 _"Eponine. I guess I'll see you 'round." He scurried off._

 _"_ _Bye, 'Ponine!" He yelled after her, clearly hearing her name wrong._


	6. Author's Notes

**Author's Notes**

 **Funny, how something as small as a contraction can alter the course of someone's life so drastically.**

 **I'm in the middle of a huge Les Mis obsession and I just kinda came up with this idea while reading. It was fun to write and escape the reality of Eponine's death. I usually write on Wattpad, but this story seemed like it needed to be on this site. I most likely won't write on here again unless I get some suggestions or a good idea. But, you know, anything can happen. I really hoped you enjoyed this, because it took up a good portion of my winter break. Also, Jean Prouvaire is my favorite barricade bro so I had to include him. Thanks so much for reading!**

 **\- SopranoEponine**


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